Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-25

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You have bought some clothing online and are not satisfied with your purchase.

Write a letter to the company that you bought the clothing from. In your email:

• give details of the purchase
• describe the problem
• explain why you need a replacement urgently

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Student answer (Band 6.5)

Dear sir,

My name is Avyakt Sethi and recently I made a purchase from your online store. I ordered a short length one piece dress in black colour which has shining material on it. Order was placed on my name and reference id was 1400P.

I ordered a women’s dress of size 34 but u guys delivered size 36 which will be too loose for my girlfriend. Also the black colour dress was ordered but u sent the white colour dress. It’s her birthday tomorrow and I want to gift her but you sent the wrong dress.

So, I want you to please replace this dress in one day because it’s urgent and I want to gift her tomorrow so that she can wear it and go out with me and her friends for her birthday celebration. I know its difficult but please sure you are sending the correct size of the dress by tomorrow and I have returned u the dress which was delivered to me and the tracking number for that is F5078GY2390.

I hope you will make sure to deliver the dress by tomorrow. Thanks for your understanding.

Yours Faithfully

Avyakt Sethi

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response successfully addresses all three bullet points of the task. You clearly provided the purchase details, described the specific issues with the size and color, and explained the urgency regarding the birthday deadline. The tone is appropriate for a formal complaint letter, although it leans slightly towards informal in some phrasing. The ideas are well-developed and the purpose of the letter is clear from the outset. To reach a higher band, ensure that all details, such as the return tracking number, are integrated more smoothly into the narrative flow rather than appearing as an afterthought.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized, with each paragraph focusing on a specific requirement of the prompt. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Also', 'So', and 'I hope' to link your ideas. However, the progression between sentences can feel a bit mechanical at times. The paragraphing is sufficient, but the transition between the description of the problem and the request for a replacement could be more fluid. Using a wider variety of linking words or phrases would help improve the flow and make the structure feel more sophisticated and less like a list of points.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task, successfully conveying the necessary information. Phrases like 'reference id' and 'tracking number' are appropriate for the context. However, there is a reliance on simple, repetitive language such as 'ordered', 'sent', and 'dress'. To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations or synonyms to avoid repetition. For instance, instead of 'u guys', which is too informal for a business letter, use 'your company' or 'your team'. The vocabulary is sufficient to communicate your message clearly, but lacks the variety required for a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'shining material on it' (should be 'shiny material') and 'I have returned u the dress' (should be 'I have returned the dress to you'). The use of 'u' instead of 'you' is inappropriate for a formal letter and constitutes a spelling error. Additionally, there are some minor punctuation issues and awkward phrasing, such as 'please sure you are sending'. Increasing the accuracy of your verb tenses and avoiding informal abbreviations will significantly improve your score.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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